


Child Of Grayskull

by Evilyoyo



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora and Catra are kids, Adora is She Ra but shes like ten, Gen, It's kinda like a Shazam Au ???, No Romance, They don't know Adora is She Ra, a little bit, since they are kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-09-15 14:46:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16935231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evilyoyo/pseuds/Evilyoyo
Summary: Adora finds a magic sword, accidentally joins the Rebellion and somehow turns into an eight-foot-tall warrior lady. All in about two days. Now there's making sure no one finds out she's from the Horde or that she has no idea what's she doing. Oh and making sure Catra doesn't cause too much trouble. That's not too hard right?OrAdora and Catra are like ten and that makes things....messy.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, Adora did you hear?”

Adora glanced up from her book from atop on her bunk to see a grinning Catra hanging on to the sides where a moment ago there had been no one. She wasn’t surprised that her friend had managed to not alert her to her presence, Catra didn’t need to try to be sneaky. Though her large grin was a welcome surprise. Ever since they had gotten caught in Shadow Weaver’s room a few weeks ago, Catra had been pretty downcast.

“Hear what?” Between her climbing, sneakiness and those ears, her friend always had news before anyone else in their squad.

Catra’s grin grew. She climbed up on the top bunk, and Adora scooted over to make room. Soon they wouldn’t be able to do this anymore, the beds weren’t that big, and every year the two of them got bigger.

“So you know how the senior cadets are about to do field training?” Catra whispered even though they were alone, “Well guess what?”

Adora waited, but her friend just grinned. She rolled her eyes, “What?”

“They decided to take the top-rated junior cadet squad with them this year !”

She gasped. They had long ago taken over the top position over the other squads even though they were the smallest group at five cadets. Adora’s own scores were the highest out of all the junior cadets, Catra’s not too far behind her.

“So we-“

“We’re going to leave the Fright Zone!” Catra grabbed her shoulders with a squeal and started to shake her back and forth. “Can you believe it ?!” 

Adora pushed Catra back before her friend could break her neck, “Are you for sure ?”

Leaving the Fright Zone? Senior cadets only went out of the Fright Zone during the last year of training, even then some years they didn’t get too if the rebellion was causing too much trouble. She’d never heard of a junior squad leaving at all. There were so few stories about what laid beyond the zone, by the time anyone left they rarely returned to the training barracks. 

“Yeah, I’m sure!” Catra rolled her eyes. “They think we need a more,” her voice dropped to a well-done impression of their instructor, “‘rounded experience.’ It’s going to be for a whole week!”

“Wow,” Adora started grinning, “A whole week outside the Fright Zone? This is going to be awesome!”

“I know!”

The door leading to their barracks opened with a slam. The other cadets of their squad rushed inside, throwing their training gear onto the floor without a care where it landed. Rogelio had to help Kyle when he got too existed and tried to throw his weighted vest while still wearing it. The three didn’t speak to them at all too busy rushing to stand at their bunks.

Knowing what was coming, the pair jumped down quickly and stood at the front of their beds as well. Someone was going to come to the barracks and very soon if the frantic rushing was anything to go on Adora glanced over to Catra and her stomach dropped when she realized the happiness from before was gone. Instead, she was trembling. While the other’s weren’t looking at them, Adora reached over and took Catra’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze before letting go.

The door slammed open again, making Catra jump and Kyle bang his head on the bunk above his. It wasn’t Shadow Weaver like Adora, and Catra feared. They hadn’t seen the sorceress since they had gotten caught in her room, but this wasn’t unusual. They could go months without seeing her, and it didn’t mean she didn’t know everything that went on. All cadets knew Shadow Weaver had eyes and ears everywhere.

But thankfully it wasn’t Shadow Weaver at the door. Instead, it was only Instructor Slack-Jaw. He closed the door as hard as it opened it and for a moment Adora feared they wouldn’t have entryway much longer. 

“Attention!,” he shouted. Luckily everyone was fully prepared, and they snapped their shoulders back and their heads forward. He paced down the row of bunks with heavy footsteps, his face blank. 

Instructor Slack-Jaw could be somewhat intimidating, he was a large man even when you compared him to the other lizard men that formed the bulk of the Horde army. Slack-Jaw was Adora's favorite instructor. There were many around the barracks, but Slack-Jaw was in charge of all the Physical Training, which tended to be Adora’s favorite classes. They had started Combatives Training last week and he’d actually given her, and Catra both recommends to skip ahead.

“As most of you know the Senior Cadets' annual field training exercise is coming up and Junior Cadets such as yourselves would then take over their positions around the barracks for that time,” here he paused. “However this year, I and Shadow Weaver herself, believe that this squad holds more potential than most. Too much to be wasted on extra cleaning around the barracks.”

They were too well trained to move from their position, but Adora could have sworn that felt her fellow cadets eyes on her. Shadow Weaver didn’t hide her favoritism or her dislike after all.

“I proposed to Lord Hordak to instead take this squad along to the FTX to give you all a view of what you will be doing in a few years.” Thankfully, Slack-Jaw ignored Kyle’s gasp of surprised. In class, something like that would have gotten them all a couple of laps. “You, of course, will not be taking part in any of weapons firing. The rest, however, you will be as much that is possible.”

So not only were they going to leave the Fright Zone but they were actually going to DO the FTX? The training exercise that all the cadets dreamed about? From what Adora had heard the FTX was the single greatest thing a cadet got to do! They got to fire weapons, plan fireteam formations for assaults, she heard that one year they even got to use a tank!

“Do not misunderstand me, Cadets.” Slack-Jaw’s voice became almost a hiss. “This is not going to be fun, this is training. If I find out that any of you,” here he glared at Catra, “tried anything funny I will take you to Shadow Weaver for her to deal with you.”

“The rest of your day will be spent here,” he continued. “All of you will be parking your own bags and are responsible for making sure your barracks are spotless. At 0500 tomorrow you will carry your gear to the loading station, and from there a bus will take you to the FTX area by the Whispering Woods.”

He crossed his arms, “Do you understand your instructions Cadets?!”

“Sir, yes Sir!” They shouted together.

Slack-Jaw paused for a moment. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime Cadets, Lord Hordak will be watching very closely. I expect you to make me and the Horde proud. ”

Maybe….she had gotten on Shadow Weaver's bad side, but if she did good enough at the FTX perhaps it would be enough for her? Adora didn’t want to think about what would happen if she didn’t do well, Shadow Weaver made it very clear what she’d do if she thought Catra was ‘holding her back.’ She steeled herself, she’ll pass this thing and make sure that Catra did too.

How bad could the Whispering Woods be anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

Adora was well used to early mornings and long days. They all were at this point, their training had always started early, and now that they began Physical Training as well they often wouldn’t be let go until late at night.   
  
Today, however, should have been enough to knock even her out for the night.   
  
She was often the most awake in the morning and today had been no exception. She had tried to make sure everyone else was up and ready, Catra was always the worst about it about mornings, either hard to awaken or too easily distracted. Today she’d been awake before Adora and had been already active, unlike poor Rogelio who took a team effort to waken but had ended up almost being late because she was too busy messing with Kyle.   
  
Adora had to slap her friend’s hand away from opening her bag to look at the gear they had gotten last night. Being the top squad didn’t mean they got excellent or new equipment often. The things they trained with were always 2nd hand and had been fixed more than once or twice. But since the FTX was the last thing most cadets did before they left for their real stations everyone got completely new gear.   
  
They hadn’t gotten a volt stick or a zap rifle, which was pretty disappointing, but they did get a bunch of other stuff, like a fire starter, a couple of flares and medic kit. Boring stuff mostly but Adora and Catra both learned a long time ago how to play with objects that they weren’t supposed to play with.   
  
Luckily the squad had managed to get down to transport on time, even Catra who had almost got into a fight with Lonnie again because she’d found the emergency whistle and kept blowing it. Of course, then Adora and Lonnie had argued because even though Lonnie had a point about Catra’s whistle being annoying, there was no reason to threaten Catra with calling Shadow Weaver.   
  
Her squad drove her mad sometimes. Catra and the rest never seemed to get along no matter how much Adora played referee between them. Rogelio and Kyle avoided her whenever possible and wouldn’t help her in class or hang around with them in the barracks. Lonnie was mean without reason, she had mostly stopped while Adora was around, but she still went out of her way to make Catra upset. It was often over something like this, something that Lonnie wouldn’t have been mad about if Kyle or Adora had been the ones that had done it but was kinda against the rules. Now it was made all the worse since she’d seen Catra’s reaction to the threat of calling Shadow Weaver as it was now her go to.   
  
The ride out to the FTX was a tense one because of it. Her and Catra had shared a seat, but her friend had been gloomy, part because of the threat of Shadow Weaver and part knowing that Lonnie had something to hold above her head now. They had brightened up as they passed the outer rims of the Fright Zone. They didn’t often leave the barracks except for training, but they had a good view from the upper levels, it was completely different to see all the building from this level. Adora had given Catra the window seat as a pick me up, but when they came to the gate, she had pressed her face right up against the glass right alongside her.   
  
As the transport went along the road, they had kept their faces there, even when they started down an unpaved road and the glass started to shake their heads. Adora couldn’t stop looking at everything, the sky was a vibrant blue that she’d only gotten to see a handful of times when the dark clouds above the Fright Zone thinned. There was grass everywhere, the only place she knew of that had grass was the training center, and it was a light yellow color, not at all like the vast fields of green she was seeing.     
  
The others hadn’t seemed to care all that much, but Catra had been right alongside her, the dark cloud above her head gone. They had spent the ride whispering back and forth about the trees and the bright colored plants they saw, teasing each other with the thought that they were rebels in the woods or worse princesses just waiting to get them.   
  
When they arrived at the training area, all joking was forgotten quickly. The squad was given their standing orders for a while they were there. Mainly; One, do not get in the way of the actual cadets. Two, Don’t go anywhere alone. Three, Stay as quiet as possible.   
  
The excitement from being outside the Fright Zone faded as the day had worn on. It soon became clear that while they had been invited here, it was not because the older cadets or their teachers wanted them there. Instead of actually doing anything they were mostly ignored. Every once and a while an older cadet would tease them when their teachers weren’t looking. The day had dragged on until it was late in the evening and they had to learn to make their sleeping bags, something that the Sinor Cadets learned years ago before the mandatory lights out.   
  
That was hours ago. By all rights Adora should be fast asleep in her bag, exhausted from her long and tiring day. Instead, she was lying wide awake staring into the woods beyond where they rested.   
  
It wasn’t the actual Whispering Woods, that would have been dangerous since the Horde hadn’t been able to figure out the Princesses tricks on how to go through them. There was a carefully marked boundary that showed where the woods magic started and ended. It wasn’t large, but it was enough to run drills and marches. This entire training area was made, so future troops had experience with the terrain, at least that's what Adora had heard.   
  
They weren’t allowed in that area, much too dangerous. She’d heard some of the instructors talking about moving the markers forward, apparently even if the magic was faint it was enough to make cadets lose their ways for hours.   
  
There was something about the trees that caught Adora’s attention. When she had laid down her bag, she’d ended up with a view of the woods, and she’d been staring at it since. She’d never seen anything like them before. The plant life in the Fright Zone was small, completely unlike the tall, thick trees.   
  
It was calling to her she realized after what seemed like hours. Not with sound, the only sound was the slow breathing of cadets and the footsteps of the fireguard. It felt like…. a need almost, it sat deep in her throat and now that she realized what it was it seemed to double. The woods had something she needed, something that she had to have right now. She had to find to find her-   
  
“Adora?”   
  
Catra’s whisper right behind her caught her off guard, and she barely managed to not yell out loud. “Catra?!” She turned around with a hiss. “What are you doing ?”   
  
“I need to go to the bathroom, and the dumb fireguard says I have to go with someone,” she rolled her eyes. “Like we’re in danger or something.”   
  
Adora sat up with a sigh, not like she was getting any sleep anyway. “You didn’t fight them did you ?” She asked quietly as they made their way to the restrooms outside of the camp. “Last time you fought with them-“   
  
“I didn’t fight-“Catra muttered.   
  
“We had double duty for weeks-“   
  
“It wasn’t my fault that they jerks-“   
  
“I’m just saying that I really hate fireguard,” Adora grumble. “So I’m going to be mad if I have to pull double.”   
  
Catra rolled her eyes, “You are such a baby.”   
  
“Sleep is important!”   
  
“You weren’t sleeping a minute ago,” she pointed out. “You were looking at the woods. What were you looking for? A Princess?”   
  
The bathrooms sat on the edge of camp and the training grounds, so they were now only a few meters from the beginning of the forest. The moon was full, and the trees cast shadows that moved enough that for a moment she thought something was in there.   
  
“I….” Adora paused. How to even explain what she had felt? She glanced at the now closer woods, the need was still there, and it only grew stronger the closer she got. It felt like she’d been grounded for a day or two and the grip of hunger had started to set in. It was quickly becoming almost painful. But she didn’t know what she was longing for or how to explain it to her friend.   
  
“I think….”Adora started, “I think I-I need something in the woods?”   
  
“Need something?” Catra blinked.   
  
“I don’t know! I just have a feeling, a really strong one, that something of mine is in there and I need it.”   
  
“Hmmm,” Catra looked in thought. “I didn’t know you had instincts and stuff.”   
  
Adora frowned, “What are you talking about?”   
  
“You know instincts! Remember Slack-Jaw said they're the reason I’m so much better at climbing than you!” Catra nodded with authority. “It’s like a gut feeling right?”   
  
She nodded with relief.     
  
Catra nodded again, “Slack-Jaw said to follow my instincts so we should follow yours too!” She grabbed her hand and with a quick smile dashed past the restrooms and into the woods beyond.     
  
“ Whoa,” Adora muttered with a hiss, “Catra we can’t! We are going to get in so much trouble!”   
  
“It’s fine,” Catra waved her hand. “The fireguard isn't actually counting us like they should be. I think most of them are just playing cards? Besides I wanted to see the Whispering woods anyway.”   
  
She gasped, “You never need to go to the bathroom!” Her answer was a wide grin as they passed by the first trees. “Fine… but Catra we need to make sure….we get back….”   
  
Adora trailed off and came to a stop. The Horde had cut down trees to make pathways through the area, so Catra had led them along that path. If they followed it should curve around and bring them back here. That was probably the best way to go, they wouldn’t get lost since the path clearly marked where training grounds ended, and the woods began.   
  
But she didn’t want to keep going that way. With a frown, she started to turn in a circle and felt a pull coming from one direction. “That way!”   
  
“Wow,” Catra laughed as they ducked under tree limbs and over climbed roots. “Your instincts are super strong!”   
  
“I guess?” Adora shrugged. “I really have no idea where I’m going…. maybe we should turn back?” Even as she said, she knew there was no way she was leaving without whatever it was that was calling her. Her hand clenched around nothing.   
  
“No way Adora!” Catra jumped from raised tree root to a nearby rock with ease. Her friend’s eyesight at night was tons better than hers, so she didn’t have any fear jumping and waving through the woods. “Come on we probably won’t leave the Fright Zone for years! We have to make the most of it!”   
  
Adora carefully stepped over a root. While the moon was full, the trees were starting to get denser, and it was hard for her to see. “I do but,” she sighed. “The woods kind of suck?” She kept walking forward ducking under a branch that Catra simply climbed over. “Why do the Princesses live here?”   
  
“They are probably too dumb to build walls,” Catra giggled. “ So they have to live in trees.” She climbed another with ease. “It’s not hard.”   
  
She rolled her eyes, sure it’s not hard if you had claws.   
  
“It’s not!” Catra grinned, her tail swinging behind her.   
  
Adora groaned aloud, “Don’t even think about it Catra.”   
  
“Don’t think about what?”   
  
“We aren’t-”   
  
Catra jumped on the ground next to her with a little thump, “Race ya!” And then she took off into the underbrush.   
  
“Catra!” Adora yelled as she ran after her. Adora was the taller of the two so she had longer legs which gave her an advance. In PT she won all the races they had, but out here there was no way she’d win. Catra had better eyesight and was much more graceful than her, she rarely fell on accident so she’d be able to side step the roots much better than Adora could. At the moment she was barely able to keep her footing.   
  
Not that she was going to give her friend the win so easily. “That’s cheating,” Adora yelled when she saw Catra jumping from tree to tree.   
  
“No, it’s not!”   
  
“Yeah, it is!”   
  
“It’s not cheating just because you can’t do it!” Catra yelled back, but she did leave the trees. Adora was happy to note that she was now almost in range to pull ahead.   
  
Had they passed the markers? Adora had not been paying attention. Hopefully, the fireguard couldn’t hear them yelling.   
  
“That’s what cheating is-” Just then Adora caught her foot on a root, and she stumbled forward in a roll. She slammed into Catra had full speed, and the pair yelled as they rolled down into a clearing.   
  
“Owwww, ”Catra pushed Adora off her with a hiss. “You landed on my tail….”   
  
“I’m sorry Catra,” Adora looked her friend over before taking stock of herself. Neither of them was bleeding or bruised from their fall. Catra was holding her tail though, her eyes looked watery. “Are you ok?” Her tail was sensitive, and Catra had been sent into tears before because Lonnie had stepped on it.   
  
Catra sniffled and nodded. She rubbed her eyes with her arm as she stood up, “It doesn’t hurt that bad.”   
  
Adora could tell her friend was lying, Catra wasn’t good at hiding her pain at all. Shadow Weaver had gotten on to her before about it a couple of times because Cadets had to learn to not show pain. She had said it was for when they were soldiers, they had to be strong. The rebellion would take any weakness and use it against them after all.  Still, Adora didn’t like to see her friend in pain, she didn’t care what Shadow Weaver said.   
  
Catra turned around, probably to start to head back, but she gasped suddenly and point behind  Adora. It was a bright blue light, glowing more brilliant than the moon above them.   
  
That sudden need was back again. There hadn't been sound earlier, but now she could almost hear her name being whispered, like someone across the room was trying to talk to her, but there was just too much space between them. It wasn’t until Catra grabbed her hand that she realized that she had started walking toward the light.   
  
“Adora?”   
  
For a moment she didn’t know if it was Catra calling her or the light.   
  
“Adora!” Catra tighten her grip, her ears back and against her head. “You're scaring me….”   
  
“It’s calling me,” she told her. “The light….it’s what I’m looking for.”   
  
“That? What is it?”   
  
“I don’t know but….” The whispering wasn’t stopping. “I want to find out.” She kept hold of Catra’s hand for both of their comforts. The light only grew brighter and the whispering louder as they went forward. When they pushed the brushes back, they had to shield their eyes from the view.   
  
Then as suddenly as it started the light dimmed and when they looked in the clearing all that was there was a sword. It was large, almost as tall as Adora and its hilt was a shining gold. What caught her eye the most was the small gem that sat on the grip, it was glowing a light blue just like the one that brought them there.   
  
“Cool…”Adora muttered. She stared, almost mesmerized, as she walked forward. She’d dropped Catra’s hand and reached to touch it. The gem flashed again, and Adora gasped as it blinded her.   
  
It showed her things then, just flashes of things none of which made sense. A planet-Etheria? The Whispering Woods, a ruin, the sword. Then most strangely of all, a woman. A warrior that stood in the blinding light and held the sword with ease. When she’d turned her head her eyes flashed burning blue. There was crying and the image of a weird woman.     
  
__ ‘Blance must be restored.’   
  
‘Etheria must seek a hero.’   
  
‘Adora.’   
  
‘Adora!’   
  
“Hey, Adora!”   
  
She sat up with a gasp, making her friend fall backward. “Catra ?” Adora rubbed her head, it was pounding. “What happened?”   
  
“What happened?” Catra took hold of her face, turning it to one side then the other. “What happened?! You touched the dumb sword, and it knocked you out!”   
  
“Oh. It um….showed me stuff?”   
  
“Showed you stuff?” Catra muttered. “I thought it killed you! Shadow Weaver would have killed me!”   
  
There was real panic in her voice, Adora realized, because well….Shadow Weaver probably would have killed her if she’d come back with a dead Adora.   
  
“It’s ok!” Adora stood on wobbly legs and smiled. “It’s fine! The sword just showed me things, but I’m alright.”   
  
“What did you show you?” Catra sent the sword a dark look.   
  
“Um just flashes of stuff mostly, the woods and some ruins….and um…”   
  
“That’s it?” Catra frowned, “That’s a letdown. All that for woods and ruins? We could have stayed at camp.”   
  
“There was a lady,” Adora said slowly. “She had the sword and she….she looked like me.”   
  
“Looked like you?” She gasped and pointed at Adora. “What if the sword showed you your mom!”   
  
“What?!” Adora shook her head with a frown. “You know the Horde found me as a baby Catra, I don’t have parents.”   
  
Catra shrugged. “I mean you did though? At some point. Maybe….She tapped her chin. “Maybe your mom was a warrior? And died fighting in some battle and that’s her sword! That’s why it’s calling to you!”   
  
“I don’t know,” she looked at the sword, it’s gem wasn’t glowing anymore. “I really want it though.”   
  
“Let’s take it back with us then!”   
  
Adora wanted to agree badly but then again, “Where would we put it? It’s huge!”   
  
Before Catra could respond the ground rumbled, “What is that?!” A massive beast busted from the field, it looked like some kind of bug, only huge and glowing. It screeched loud enough that Adora’s ear hurt, and then it started to run toward them, it’s legs so heavy that they left cracks in the rock.   
  
“Run!” Adora shouted, uselessly since Catra had already started too. They dashed across the small clear, but when She pasted the sword, she couldn’t help but to reach out again to grab it. There was no flashing light or warrior lady, and the sword came loss from the roots that grew around it with only a light tug.   
  
“Adora I think you should leave it!” Catra yelled from in front of her.   
  
The monster roared again as it ran past them to cut them off, there was no way they could outrun it. Even if they tried to take off into the trees, it could just knock them over if it really wanted it too. There was no way they could fight it either, it was just too big.   
  
The monster raised one of its legs high above Catra, who froze in fear.     
  
“Hey bug face!” Adora scared, she tried to raise the sword, but it was too heavy for her.  The monster turned toward her and started after her with another roar.   
  
“Wait-,” Catra went wide-eyed. “Adora no-”   
  
Adora locked eyes with her friend, “Run!” She kneeled down and held onto the hilt of the sword above her head, the tip resting on the ground to make a kind of barrier even if it was useless.  But when the beast slammed its leg down the sword didn’t move.   
  
_‘Adora.’_ a voice whispered. The flashes came back, the world and ruins. It was almost out of control.   
  
_ ‘Adora!’ _   
  
The cry of a baby echoed as she saw something crash in the sand. A hole in the sky, magic twisting inside out. The warrior on a cliff her face stern-   
  
The strange lady again, not the warrior, spoke, _‘Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?’_   
  
Her voice and the flashes faded as quickly as they came, but Adora knew what she needed to do now, just like how she’d known where the sword.   
  
“For the honor of Grayskull!” She shouted as the sword flashed again, overtaking her and the monster both.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought I answered the comments from the last Ch but I guess not?? My bad guys, I read them, and love them thank you, but I haven't had a lot of time lately. Still, I could have sworn I answered them..... Oh well 
> 
> But yeah Catra and Adora are the only ones that are kids! Well them and their squad because I didn't feel like making a new one for them. There are about ten-ish here. 
> 
> Bow and Glimmer show up in the next ch so that's fun!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever. Why is this so long? It's longer than the other two put together!

Adora had only seen magic done to others, but it had looked painful when Shadow Weaver’s blood red magic had frozen Catra. She hadn’t asked if it had been since Catra hadn’t wanted to talk about the incident, hissing and running away from her when she brought it up. Catra’s ongoing nightmares, when Adora could only watch as she winced and shuddered, seemed that it had.

She’d been a little scared when the blue lighted flashed over her, but it didn’t hurt she didn’t feel anything at all. It was like her body was completely numb, but something was pushing her to move her body as she’d stood from her kneel. The feeling, or instinct that had been driving toward the sword all night turned hot in her chest.

The monster’s glow dimmed as it looked her over as it went still and quiet. Adora felt her arm rise and held the sword toward the beast, the sword looked so much smaller in her hand and it wasn’t heavy at all. A smirk formed on her lips and she spoke in a voice that sounded deeper than it should be, “Leave us be Guardian.”

It rumbled softly before it turned and left the clearing.

When it was gone, Adora felt her body become hers again, in surprise and some fear she dropped the sword. Whatever had taken over her had faded, she felt strange but making sure Catra was ok was more important.

“Catra?!” Her voice still wasn’t right. Her friend was still standing still, but instead of staring at the monster she was looking at her, wide-eyed and gasping. “Catra are you ok?” Adora ran over to her and bent down to hug her. “I was so worried! I’m sorry we should have never come out here in the first place-”

That’s when Adora noticed something was wrong. Catra was tiny in her arms. She’d always been small, but now she was small enough that Adora was able to lift her, with an ease that shouldn’t be possible, and Catra dangled feet above the ground.

“Why are you-“ Adora then realized that her arms had shiny golden braces, very similar to the ones that the warrior had in her vision. She dropped Catra in shock, which only grew when she saw that her uniform was gone as well. Her everyday boots had been replaced by ones of white and gold, her shirt with a thick vest. She’d bent her head to look more closely, and her hair caught her eye. It was a brighter gold than it was supposed and a whole couple feet longer.

“You’re huge!” Catra recovered from her shock. “And you got new clothes?!”

Adora screamed.

She patted herself, to make sure that the change in clothes and height was real, and in her panic fell over on the ground. She was also wearing something around her head as it dug in the back.

Catra jumped on her chest, and Adora winced. Catra loved to do this, but it hurt to have someone jump on her. It freaked her out when instead it didn’t hurt at all. “How did you do that?! Wait can you do magic?!”

“I don’t know!” Adora waved her arms, her now much longer arms. “I just knew to say the words, so I did! The purple lady in the sword told me too!”

Catra frowned and poked Adora between the eyes, “Your mom?” She crossed her legs and stayed on Adora's chest, it was usually her pushing Catra off since it was a game they played, but Catra’s weight wasn’t enough to bother her.

“No, not my-“ Adora paused. The warrior in her vision had been wearing almost the same thing she was now; her hair was now just as long too. “I think that was me?”

“You’re your mom?!”

“What? No! I think I’m the warrior. She’d-I? Had been wearing this….So do I look older ?”

Catra leaned forward, squinting her eyes before she shrugged. “Kinda? You’re way taller now.”

Adora pushed Catra off and stood. She’d been right about being taller if she had to guess she’d probably be able To Slack-Jaw in the eye. “Wow,” she laughed as she reached down and patted Catra on the head between the ears. “This is kinda cool!”

“Stop that,” Catra swatted her hand away before jumping up and taking hold of her white vest. It was thicker than it looked and her claws didn’t tear it as she held on. Adora didn’t feel the weight so didn’t bend as her friend climbed her like a tree. “So,” Catra said as she settled on her shoulders. “How come the sword turned you huge?”

“I don’t know,” Adora picked up the sword to look at it. The gem was dem again, and she didn’t start having flashes. The feeling in her chest was so faint it was almost gone, but it was enough that Adora knew she had to keep the sword. “But I don’t think Shadow Weaver is going to like it if I come back all tall….”

She felt Catra shake her head from her spot. “Probably not. I mean if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were a princess or something.”

“Don’t be mean Catra.”

“I’m not! But princesses powers aren’t controllable remember? They just happen.” Catra’s tail thumped against Adora’s back; it was almost thrashing with annoyance. Or fear. “And you just said you don’t know how you did it.”

“I’m not a princess!” Adora’s heart dropped at even the suggestion. “I just….used magic with knowing it….” She dropped the sword again and covered her face. “I don’t want to be a princess!” She groaned from behind her hands.

Catra patted her on the back of the head, “Hey it’s ok Adora. Look just….change back, and we’ll leave the sword, and it’ll be like it never happened.”

“Right. Yeah ok,” Adora nodded as she took a deep breath. She placed her hands on her hips, her fingers tapping against her hips. “One problem.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how to change back.”

“The sword didn’t tell you?” Catra jumped from her shoulder. She picked up the sword with a grunt and looked into its gem before pointing at it. “Also you know princess get their power from gems right? So that’s another point for that.”

Adora groaned loudly, “Please stop saying that word. Maybe if I repeat it?” She took the sword from Catra and held it up, “For the Honor of Grayskull?”

Nothing.

She tried again this time trying to sound more confident, “For the Honor of Grayskull.”

Nope.

“For the Honor of Grayskull!” She yelled.

“Adora I don’t think it’s working.” Catra frowned, her tail now wrapped around her and her ears were laying flat. “I don’t think Shadow Weaver is going to be happy about this…”

“What am I going to do? I don’t even know if this is going to wear off! ” Adora’s voice broke. She felt tears start to build, “I don’t want to be a princess! The squad is going to hate me if I’m even allowed to go back! The Horde is going to kick me out and-“ Tears started running down her face, and she felt shame build up in her chest.

She hadn’t cried in years because everyone knew you weren’t supposed too, Shadow Weaver had been clear on that. She couldn’t help it, the Horde was the only thing she had and if they didn’t want her then where would she go?

“Adora….” Catra hugged her tight even though she only came up to Adora’s knees at the moment. “It’s ok! It doesn’t matter if the Horde hates you because I’ll like you no matter what.”

“Even if I’m a princess?” Adora sniffled.

“Even if you’re a dumb princess. You would be my best friend  you grew like ten more feet.”

Adora sat down to better hug her back. “Thanks, Catra.” They sat beside each other as Adora’s tears stopped. “I guess we should head back?” She sighed, dreading the walk back to camp.

They were going to get in trouble, and that was the least of their problems now that Adora was all tall. What would Shadow Weaver do to them? She didn’t want Catra to get in trouble; Shadow Weaver had been clear about what would happen to her if Adora got in more trouble. What was bigger trouble there than finding out that she was probably a princess and misusing magic? She didn’t even know how long this would last! Would she be like this forever? Where had this armor come from? If she cut her hair would it grow back?

Before they could stand the ground started to rumble again. They jumped up just as two teens burst through the underbrush, a girl and a boy. How they didn’t hear the pair Adora didn’t know, they were yelling very loudly. A moment later the same monster from earlier parted the tree line with a roar.

The boy shot at it with a golden bow while shouting at his partner, “I told you this was a bad idea!”

The girl threw a ball of bright purple magic. Was she a princess or a sorceress?“I told you I was sorry Bow!”

“No, you didn’t!” He screamed as the monster turned to him and roared as it started to charge at him, “Glimmer!”

The girl, Glimmer, was suddenly next to him and with a small flash of magic they were right next to Adroa and Catra across the clearing.

“We got to-“ Glimmer screamed when she realized they were there, making Adroa and Catra yell as well. “What are you doing here?!”

Bow shot another arrow, “Not now Glimmer!” The arrow bust into a goo that warped around the beast’s leg. It held in place, but it didn’t look like it would stay.

“Right,” The strange purple hair girl nodded, “Monster!” She sent a quick grin their way and grabbed Adora’s arm and tried to do the same to Catra but she quickly shook off her hold. “It’s ok we’re professionals!”

The goo that was holding the monster broke, and it roared in victory and started to charge at them all. It seemed madder than it had earlier, the glow that lined it was a brighter blue. Maybe because it was mad that it had to fight them all over again?

“My professional opinion is to run!” Bow loosened some arrows, but they did not affect it, just bouncing off .

“Yep, let's do that!”

Glimmer tugged Adora’s arm, but she shook her off as well. She grabbed the sword, hoping that whatever took over would do it again but it didn’t glow, and nothing took her over like before. She wasn’t going to bet on their lives on it, so she instead just grabbed Catra under one arm and took off into the woods, Bow and Glimmer right behind them.

The monster gave chase but the woods was on their side, it was huge and while it could knock over trees that slowed it down. They were faster than it was too and that gave them a nice head start. Bow shot some traps every few meters to slow it down more but even if that they couldn’t lose it completely.

“Wait-”Catra yelled from her place under Adora’s arm, “Adora look out!”

Adora turned around, thinking that the monster had caught up with them, “What-” Her next step was on thin air, and she started to tumble down a slope. Bow and Glimmer followed shortly after and they formed almost a ball as they rolled. Thankfully Catra wasn’t crushed under them, and the sword didn't impale anyone.

The ground under them wasn’t soft grass; it was all hard metal which made the fall all the worse. At least it should have since Adora barely felt it. It had long lines run across it, all of them leading up to a huge door.

“What is this place?” Someone else was in here, in this body that wasn’t her body. It was like someone was sharing it with her if you could even call it her body now, but there were no words just the other’s incomplete feelings. She felt it back with the monster, but this was different than before. When it had taken her over it had been calm but whoever or whatever it was didn’t like this place at all. It was making her heart beat faster and the hand holding the sword tightened. There was a frown on her face now, and she felt her eyes set in a glare.

“I don’t know,” Bow helped Catra and Glimmer up before he tried to open the door.

The monster followed them down the slope, but the ground couldn’t hold it’s enormous weight, and it tumbled down as the ground gave away under it. It caused a small rock slide and gave them a few more precious moments.

“Everyone grab on,” Glimmer said. “I’ll get us in there!”

Bow whipped his head around, “What? No! Are you nuts?! Glimmer you’ve never teleported three people let alone four!”

“Do you have a better idea?!”

It still wasn’t happy about being here, but Adora felt nudged forward towards the door. The writing on it was strange, and nothing like what she’d been learning but she could read it fine.

“Just say the password?” Adora pointed at the word in plain sight. “It’s right there!”

“You can read that?” Bow asked in shock.

“You can’t read?” This is what the rebellion does to their people? They can’t even read!

“What does it say?!” Glimmer threw a magic ball at the monster as it started to break free.

“Eternia?”

The words glowed and caked on dust and small plants falling off as it slid open. The hallway behind it is dark, and the feeling of anger was still bubbling deep in her chest, but with the monster bursting free from the rock Adora ignored it, grabbing Catra and darting inside with Bow and Glimmer falling in after her. There was a loud thunk as it crashes into the door and Adora was surprised that it held.

Glimmer makes a glowing ball, letting them see the enormous hall. It was bigger than anything Adora had ever seen, at least twice as big as the chow hall that the squad ate at. It was made of bright colored crystal and not stone or metal.

“Who are you?” Bow asked her with a shake of his head; his eyes were wide.

“Who are you?” Catra demanded back as she climbed on Adora’s shoulder again.

“Wow,” he held up his hands. “No need to get defensive! It’s all right; we’re with the Rebellion.” He smiled like that was a good thing, and Adora had to fight the urge to scream and step away. Catra’s ears went back, and her claws bite where she was holding on to Adora’s neck to steady herself but thankfully said nothing. She’d known that with Glimmer probably being a princess that they were most likely with the rebellion but it ofter it so quickly? Like it was a good thing?

“It’s just,” Glimmer said with a small frown, “How are you able to read First One's writing?”

“What’s First One’s writing?”

Glimmer tilted her head, the confusion plain on her face, “What you literally just read?” She waved at the closed door behind them. “On the door?”

“You couldn’t read it?” Adora shook her head and whispered to Catra, “I don’t think they can read…” It must have been a little too loud because both Glimmer and Bow frowned at her.

Instead of laughing like Adora thought she would Catra flinched, “ Um…..Adora….”

Adora sighed. “You couldn’t read could you?”

“Nope. Sorry.”

“You just….are able to read it?” Glimmer narrowed her eyes. “What were you two doing out there in the woods in the middle of the night? We made sure to tell all the villages around here to be careful, didn’t you hear that the Horde moved closer to the woodline?”

“Umm,” Adora paled. What would the princess do when she realized they were Horde? Take them, prisoner? The stories about princesses that adults used to scare her with weren’t true; she knew that now, but faced with an actual princess she now worried that they were. The stories were many, using magic to take you underwater to kill you or froze you until you die or trap you in magic so they could kill you….

“We aren’t from the villages around here,” Catra told them. Her voice was calm, but her ears and tail were giving her away, clearing showing her fear. “We just had to come to get Adora’s sword.”

Adora’s mind raced. They wouldn’t believe that, would they?

“Sword?” Bow looked at it, Adora’s hand hadn’t stop clenching it since they rolled down the hill. How it didn’t cut anyone was a miracle. “Wait is it?” He pulled out a small screen and waved it at them; it blinked a bright green. “Glimmer look! The sword is First One’s tech!”

“What?” She grabbed the screen and frowned at it, “Wow, it’s powerful First One’s tech. How did you find it?”

“I don’t know,” Adora shrugged. “I just did?”

“Just like you just read a language that no one’s been able to read for about a thousand years?” Glimmer put her hand on her hip and scowled. “The door that then opened into a First One’s ruin?” She pointed to the sword, “Carrying around a sword that is probably the most powerful First One’s tech that anyone has found in years? That you found in the woods while the Horde is nearby?” She rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Sure.”

“You think I wanted this?” Adora snapped, the anger that had been building in her chest bubbled over. “ I don’t! I don’t want any of this!” She waved at the grand hallway around them, Catra’s claws digging into her vest and neck so she wouldn’t fall over. That she didn’t feel any pain from it made her even madder because it reminded her that she wasn’t even in her own body. “I don’t want to be a princess-” Were those tears that were falling down her face? “I just-” The anger faded as a sob broke loose. “I don’t….”

She ignored them both, turning away from them altogether. She didn’t want any of this; she didn’t want to read some dead language or be six feet tall! All she wanted was to go home but she couldn’t, not like this! They would hate her for being a princess, and she wouldn’t even blame them, everyone knew that princesses were monsters. What would Shadow Weaver do when she found out?

Catra whispered in her ear, “Adora it’s ok! We’re going to be fine, we’ll figure out how to fix you and just go home, and no one will know, and we’ll laugh about it later. Like when we made Octavia really really mad, remember? She chased us around for hours, but she wouldn’t tell on us because it made her look bad!”

Adora laughed a little, “It was pretty funny…”Her voice was ruff from crying, but she felt a bit better now. The foreign anger was gone but in its place was a cold feeling one that almost felt like fear. It was dim, much dimmer than the passion had been. What could be in this place that It was afaid?

“I’m sorry,” Glimmer said behind them. When Adora turned around Glimmer sighed, “I didn’t mean to come on so hard….” She ran her hand through her hair, which made the small sparkles move around. “It’s weird that you can do that and with the Horde pressing forward every day we can’t be too careful.”

“It must be a lot,” Bow said softly. “To come into your powers so late, If you really are a princess I mean. I’m not trying to be mean but-” He frowned and rubbed his chin. “I’ve never heard of a princess whose power source was a sword? It does have has a gem, but it’s kinda small….maybe the tech amplifies it somehow? Where did you get it?”

“Umm,” Adora didn’t think there was any harm in telling the truth. Besides if she was a princess, then they should be able to tell her something right? “I just found it in the woods. I felt pulled? Kinda, I don’t know….”

Bow and Glimmer nodded like it made perfect sense to them. “You felt drawn to it right? Glimmer asked. “It felt natural.”

“Like an instinct,” Adora said with a sigh of relief. It was comforting that someone got it because she really didn’t understand it at all. For all the horror stories about princesses, she didn’t know much about them.

“Your parents didn’t tell you about it? ”Glimmer asked.

She shrugged, “I’ve never had any parents.”

Catra tugged on her ear then whispered, “What about the lady in the sword?”

“There's a lady in the sword?” Bow gasped. “How?”

“She not actually in there….when I first touched the sword it showed me stuff,” Adora muttered. She didn’t feel comfortable talking about the strange feelings she was now having….What would these rebels do with the information? She still didn’t trust these guys but who else could she ask about this? Shadow Weaver will probably make she get rid of it as soon as they get back if she allowed Adora back in the Horde at all.

“Visions? Hmmm.” Glimmer rubbed her chin, “I’ve heard of princesses having visions, but it’s like super rare. But-” here she winced. “My mom should know more about it; you can come back with us to Bright Moon.”

Go to Bright Moon? Where the Evil Rebellion was based? She couldn’t! The tales about princesses paled to the horror stories about the Queen; she killed more Horde Shidors than anyone else alive! She burned whole squads alive! They couldn’t just walk in there, what if she found out about them? She would kill them for sure!

But could they say no? Would Bow and Glimmer wonder why they refused to go the Bright Moon? Glimmer was suspicious about them already them refusing about set her over the edge.

“Your mom is going to be so mad at you for sneaking out,” Bow pointed out while Adora was freaking out.

“Probably but she’s always freaking out, so it’s fine!” Glimmer waved away his concerns. “She won't think I can’t handle myself if I come back with a princess for the Alliance that has a magic sword!”

“You can’t make Adora join your dumb thing!” Catra hissed, her claws were digging into Adora’s vest again, and her tail was thrashing behind them.

“You don’t have too-” Glimmer waved her hands, her eyes wide. “You don’t have if you don’t want too but I would really really,” her voice turned into a whine, “like it if you did! I need a princess to join so that the others will too because no one else will! But if you don’t want to it’s ok; I’m sure my mom won’t mind answering your questions about the sword…. Look how about we get out of these ruins, and you can think it over?” She nodded to her in agreement, made her glowing magic ball bigger and started down the hallway rather quickly.

“Sorry about her,” Bow said as he followed after Glimmer. “ She’s usually not like this….”

When he caught up with Glimmer, they started whispering to each other and kept glancing back at Adora and Catra. After a moment or two, Adora followed after them. If only because there was no way out from there without a monster chasing after them.

The group stayed in pairs, Glimmer, and Bow in front, Adora and Catra on the back just on the edge of the light that Glimmer was putting off.

“Adora….?” Catra Whispered.

“Hmmm?”

“Are you thinking about joining?”

“What!?” Adora just managed to keep her voice low, the pair up front was too busy talking to each other to noise. “Me? Join the Alliance? Are you crazy? They want us all dead! Why in the world would I want to join? ”

Catra frowned, “Glimmer said her mom has answers about your sword and she wants you to join….” She looked away and shrugged, “I’d leave the Horde if I were a princess.”

Adora stopped walking in shock. “What? You’d-” She picked Catra off her shoulder and sat her on the floor, kneeling so they could see each other. “You can’t be for real! The Horde is all we have!”

“Well, it sucks!” Catra hissed, her ears laying flat.

“You’ve been the one talking about how we need to go home,” Adora pointed out.

“Because of Shadow Weaver but if we don’t go back then we don’t have to deal with her!”

“Catra….” Adora shook her head. They couldn’t just leave the Horde; it was all the two of them had. It had taken them in when they had no one….Shadow Weaver may be awful but what else was there? The rebellion was cruel, and they would surely kill them if they ever found out. Didn’t Catra see that?

While the two had been talking Glimmer’s light had faded almost entirely around them and Catra’s eyes shined in the darkness, her friend hissed again.“Of course, you want to go back,” Catra’s eyes weren’t shining just because of the lack of light. “You're her favorite, and you don’t care about me at all!”

Shocked Adora could only watch as Catra turned and ran ahead to where Bow and Glimmer were. She stayed behind them a few feet away and kept her head down. Bow and Glimmer sent her uneasy looks when she caught up with them, but she ignored them, too busy thinking over what Catra had said to her.

Catra thought she liked being Shadow Weaver's favorite? She hated it! She was always afraid about what would happen if she failed Shadow Weaver or worse what she’d do to the squad or Catra if she did. Didn’t she see that she was trying to make sure she didn’t get in trouble? It had been her fault that Catra had gotten in trouble with Shadow Weaver a few weeks ago, she should have known better….

The bigger surprise was that Catra had thought about leaving the Horde. Where did she think they would go? The Horde was all either of them had, always had been. While some of the other cadets had families that sent them letters or had rare visits with; she and Catra were all alone beside each other. There was no family out there for either of them it was something they bounded over before during mail call.

“These are ruins are old, even for a First One's temple.” Bow pointed at the strange carvings on the walls.

They were the same as on the door but whatever had let her read the language earlier was now gone. The foreign feeling of fear, however, was only growing. If the anger she had was a fire, then this was ice.

“What’s a First One?” Adora asked to keep her mind off it.

“You’ve never heard of the First Ones?” Bow’s eyes went wide. “Wow, where have you been? The First Ones are the original settlers of Etheria, but they disappeared over a thousand years ago. No one knows why they disappeared, but they left lots of stuff behind. It’s mostly ruins now, but some of the techs still works.”

“Like my sword?” She waved it around.

Bow wined and took a step back, “Um yeah?” He carefully pointed the sword away from himself. “I’m not too sure how your sword works though, it’s very high tech even for First One's technology.”

“Ugh!” Ahead of them, Glimmer kicked a rock. “It’s going to take forever to find a way out of here!”

“It’s so dark too,” Bow turned to Adora with a grin. “You should try turning the lights on! What’s the First One's word for ‘Lights’?”

“I don’t know.” She looked at the sword, still dim. “It hasn't done anything?”

“Maybe it needs to recharge?” As Glimmer, fully out of his slight, started to raise her magic ball he raised his voice, “Speaking of recharging-” he turned around and planted his hands on his hips in one smooth motion, “-Maybe you should be careful? We’re a long way off from Bright Moon Glimmer. It’s going to be a while before you can recharge.”

Glimmer blushed, “Bow can you not? It’s fine!” She took a few steps back from the group, Catra still frowning off to the side, “Stand back!” She closed her eyes, and the magic in her hands wobbled as it grew larger. Then with a grunt, she tossed it up, it hit the ceiling but didn’t explode as the others had. Instead, it grew brighter until with a flash the entire room they were in was fully lit as if by a small sun.

“Wow,” Adora muttered to herself. She’d never know that magic could be so pretty. The ball hung there like the sun, but it was purple and glittering. Was it only Shadow Weavers magic that was dark shadows?

Glimmer wavered, but Bow was there to steadily her. “Are you alright? That was a lot of power Glimmer-”

“I’m fine Bow-”

“Adora look!” Catra’s voice was shocked.

She looked away from the bright purple sun to the massive mural that they could now see. She gasped, it was her. Or at least it looked like her. It was a simple picture, but there was no mistaking the armor and sword. Was it the woman she’d seen in the flashes? Or was it meant to be her? Catra’s idea that it was her mother wouldn’t make sense if the warrior lived long ago enough that she had a mural on a temple no one had been in for thousands of years….But who was she to get such a huge picture? The thing was massive, easily a couple of floors!

“It’s you!” Bow shook his head, “This is amazing I can’t believe it, this ruin must not have been opened since the First Ones disappeared for the art to not have been disturbed. Look there's some writing under it, can you read it?”

“I can try?” Adroa looked at the markings, with how big the thing was it stood taller than she did. She couldn't read it at. First, it wasn’t like before at the door where’d she been able to read it almost immediately. The cold fear in her chest warmed just a tad, and suddenly she blinked and the words made sense though it wasn’t really a word but a title.

“It says….” Her heart was beating fast, but she didn’t know why. The thing that shared her body was feeling too much for her to understand, fear and anger but also a deep excitement. “She-Ra.”

The words glowed, and the light flowed upwards as it lit the mural. From there it spread to the walls around them, bright lines made themselves know on the floor and walls around them. Glimmer’s sun wasn’t needed anymore when it stopped.

A person appeared suddenly, Catra jumped on her back with a hiss while Glimmer and Bow grabbed her both of her arms, Bows yelp was pert lily loud in her ear. She realized that it wasn't a person, she could see through it for one. It kept jumping in place like it was having trouble holding its form.

“ _Greetings Administrator_.” The thing didn’t move its mouth as it spoke, the voice sounds muffled and flat, unhuman-like. _“What is your query ?”_

“What is this thing?” Adora frowned at it. The excitement was gone now, and the anger rolled back harder than before. Whoever or whatever this was the sword didn’t like it.

“I think it’s a First One's hologram,” Bow let go of her arm Glimmer doing the same. Catra stayed on her back, her arms warped around her neck. She was still mad and probably thought her hanging on like that would be uncomfortable, but Adora bearly noticed over the pounding of her heart and the raw anger that was causing through her.

“ _What is your query?_ ” It repeated.

“Uhhhh, Hi? What is this place?” Bow asked slowly. The hologram said nothing; it forms flittering. He tried again, this time he spoke louder, “How do we get out?”

_“What is your query?”_

Bow sighed, “Looks like she broken.”

Glimmer walked up to it. “She’s so old; I’m surprised any of this stuff still works. I’ve never heard of a First Ones ruin having this much stuff working.” She waved her hand through the hologram, “ I wonder if we-”

The hologram suddenly flashed a deep red, _“Administrator not detected. Lockdown initiated.”_

The lights that had come on now darkened to red, bathing the room in red. The mural took a ruby color as well, almost like a theft. Massive stone slabs slammed down on the doors, but one of them of them started to crumble as it did. It was still were being pushed down making the door jams begin to crumble as well. The cracks spread from there and run up, dust and small rocks began to fall, and a deep rumble came from all around them.

“I didn’t do it!” Glimmer shouted.

“No lockdown, no lockdown!” Bow turned to Adora, “You’ve got to get it to stop!”

“Me?” A piece from the mural on the ceiling fell with a loud bang. “What makes you think I can?”

“There's got to be a password around here right? Like the door!” Glimmer waved around the crumbling room, “You just have to read it!”

“Query Not Recognized”

“Stop it!” Adora yelled. When nothing happened, she tried again, “Eternia!” The mural stood there, still undamaged from the crumbling around it. The sword was the center of it, almost overtaking the warrior that held it.

She looked at her own sword, and the stone was still dim. The anger had turned into a rage, deep and cutting. The Thing was so angrily at this hologram and at this place that Adora didn’t want to let it go, what would the Thing do? A large rock fell a couple of feet from where the group was standing, causing Catra’s claws to dig into her neck and bury her head into her shoulder blades.

Help me, Adora tried to tell It; I need to protect her.

The numbness came back; it crept up from the sword until it took over ‘her’ body completely. She was aware that her face set into a scowl and that her hand was tightening on the sword. The rage was boiling now, and It only glared at the hologram.

A rock fell where the hologram stood, and the hologram disappeared with the same flash.

Glimmer grabbed on it Bow’s arm and dragged him over to Adora, “I don’t if this will-”

“You can’t teleport four people! Leave me-” Now tried to shrug out of her grasp.

With the hologram gone Its rage faded some. Adora’s body moved, grabbing Glimmer under one arm and Bow under the other and started running into the hallway where the rock slab had failed to close it off.

“Wow,” Glimmer grunted. “You are really strong!”

It said nothing, forgetting on weaving around the falling rocks. Adora realized that It knew this place well, taking turns like it knew where it was going. When they came to a door that looked like the one they had entered from, It spoke. “Eternia.” The door started to open with a rumble, soon as it was clear enough. It reached around to toss Catra though, then Glimmer.

Before Bow could make it though it started to slide back down, the stain from the crumbling building getting to it, It grabbed the eagle of the door to let him though, Adora felt the stain from doing so but It didn’t care when Bow made it though as well It rolled under the door which slammed down with enough force that the door creaked.

Even with the numbness, Adora felt the stain that holding the door has caused her, and when It faded away, Adora gasped and fell to her knees as darkness overtook her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure light hope and the first ones are evil btw


	4. Chapter 4

 

Shadow Weaver had told them that fear was something the weak felt and that real soldiers of the Horde didn’t fear anything. Adora didn’t know if that was true, but she did know that she was afraid often. She’d tried to stop it, the nightmares she had from late night stories about princess and the tears Adora cried over them, but there were just some things she couldn’t stop even if it made her a lousy soldier.

Slack-Jaw scared her because he was her teacher and teachers could punish the squad anyway that they wanted. He’d only grounded them twice, and for shorter then the other instructors but the threat was all always there. The other squads had told them that they were lucky to have him, that they faced teachers that grounded so often that some of the weaker kids ribs had begun to show. But what stopped Slack-Jaw from doing the same if they started to fall behind?

There was the looming Rebellion. It was something that scared Adora deeply because the stories of bloody battles that instructors and older cadets told her were intended to scare her. It was supposed to get her used to the idea of fighting but she’d had nightmares about the Queen. A cadet had told her that the Queen would take kids to replace the warriors she’d lost. She’d climbed down to Catra’s bunk because if the Queen managed to sneak in and take them at least, Catra would be there with her.

Shadow Weaver was, of course, the thing that scared her the most.  

Adora knew fear, and at this moment it was all she felt, it ran deep like she’d just woken up from a nightmare but instead of waking in her bed where she could hear the others there was only black. She was aware of her heart pounding and that she wanted to run but couldn’t. There was a disconnect between her body and mind, she couldn’t feel anything or even see or hear. There was just nothing but the thumping of her heart.  

Then a sense of control and comfort as a strong presence became known. Confused, Adora tried to back away as the panic gripped her mind.

 ** _‘We are protection_ ,’** came from the presence. It wasn’t like any voice she’d ever heard before because it wasn’t really talking. She merely heard it, and it sounded like dozens of people talking at once.

Adora would have jumped if she could. She tried thinking as loudly as possible to it, _‘Who are you?’_

**_‘We are She Ra.’_ **

The word from the ruins….The warrior, there were more than one? There had only been one warrior on the mural, but it would explain the layers of voices. ‘The Warrior that the sword showed me?’

**_‘She was the last, we guided her as we will now guide you on your path to restore balance. ’_ **

**_‘_** _What do you mean? Change me back!’_ Adora’s anger leaked onto her thoughts. _‘I didn’t want to be a princess!’_

 ** _‘Oh child….,’_** the voices dripped with pity and a deep sadness filled the void. _‘ **We do not pick who bears the sword, it chose you as it once chose us. You now carry the mantle of She-Ra just as we once did.’**_

‘ _Unchose me then!’_ If she’d been speaking her voice would have broke, and she was sure that she would have been crying.

 ** _‘We will help you._** ’ It, She-Ra, told her. **_‘You are young for your power, much too young and the transfusion was not intended to last this long, but you are in great danger. The sword is trying to protect you but take heed, its power will fail if you don’t control it.’_** Here the voices began to split. Half of them spoke calmly, ** _‘Your connection to the sword is too strong, you must train-’_** While the rest were angry ** _, ‘You must dim the connection before they-’_**

The voices started to roar together until Adora couldn’t understand them anymore. _‘Please stop!’_ She-Ra became quite, and again Adora was reminded that she was still in this dark void, alone. She was to become a part of this? _‘I just want to go home, I don’t want this!’_  

Suddenly Adora was starting to become aware of her body. She was kneeling with her head bent down, one hand curled into a fist against the grass and the other holding the sword in front of her.

The voices of She-Ra were much softer now, but Adora shook at the anger that they held as they soon spoke again as one, ** _‘None of us did.’_**

Her eyes opened, she was outside of the ruins. It was early morning, the sky from what little she could see through the trees, was a light pink. There was dew soaking into her shorts, and small beads of water were rolling down the hilt of the sword. When she stood it her body protested. It felt like she’d ran laps for hours, her shoulders and legs hurt the worst.

“Adora?” Catra hesitated before she stepped forward. She’d been laying down near her, but Adora hadn’t noticed, her mind still fuzzy.

“Catra?” She rubbed her forehead to try and clear her mind. The golden bracers were still on her arms so not even passing out had changed her back.

Catra jumped forward to hug her tight. There were tears in her eyes when she said, “I don’t know what happened but never do it again.”

“I didn’t do it,” she protested. “Glimmer shouldn’t have waved her hand through the hologram thing!”  

“Not that!” Catra reached up and grabbed Adora’s face and tugged her down to her level, Adora almost toppled over. “You don’t remember?”

“I remember tossing you through a door but then nothing.”

Catra looked her face over, turning it this way and that. It had been a while since Catra had been this worried over her. It was usually the other way around since Catra liked to get in trouble. “You passed out after you held the door open.”

“Yeah, I figured that-”

“Then you stood up, your eyes were glowing by the way, and walked us out of the ruins. When we got out you kinda just kneeled down and wouldn’t get up.” Catra crossed her arms, a deep frown on her face. “You really wouldn’t get up, magic zapped Bow when he tried.”

“I-” Adora shook her head. She-Ra could take over her body without her being aware? Or well the other She-Ras since she was also She-Ra? She groaned loudly. This was so confusing and creepy.

“They will be back soon.” Catra nodded to the wood line with a frown. “I guess we are super close to some village or something? They went to go get food, and I made them leave us alone.”  

“Thanks,” Adora decided that she didn’t care about getting her, or were they She-Ra’s, white clothes dirty and laid on the wet grass with her eyes closed Her mind was racing; she was sharing her body with a whole group of past warriors that seemed to be infighting. The sword apparently had a mind of its own since it ‘wanted to protect her.’ What did that even mean? Why was she in danger?

Catra sat on her chest again and poked her on the forehead until Adora opened her eyes again. “Are you going to tell me what's going on or not?”

“The warrior that I told you about? She was She-Ra, and now I am.” Adora was too tried to cry about it, it was done. There was nothing she could do about it now, how could she go back to the Horde like this? A full powered princess with a bunch of dead princesses in her head?

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know…” She looked at the sword with its dim gem and felt nothing coming from She-Ra. “I didn’t speak to them very long.”

“The sword spoke to you?” Catra pulled it into her lap, “What did it say?”

“I need to control my powers and restore balance,” Adora sighed. “I have no idea what I’m restoring balance to though.”

“Did they tell you anything about why you're big?” Catra waved her hand around all of her.

Adora nodded before she shrugged. “I’m in danger, and the sword made me big to protect me. It’s putting me in danger though because Shadow Weaver is going to be super mad about all of this.”

Catra froze, “You are still thinking about going back?”

“Where else would we go?” Adora shook her head, “We don’t have anyone else.”

Her friend's claws dug into Adora’s vest before she jumped off her with a huff. “Right,” Catra said with a frown and a hiss. “Fine, whatever.”

“Catra-”

“I lied and told the princesses that you are like 17 by the way,” Catra ignored her. “ They think you are only a little younger than them because you are tall now. Glimmer really wants you to go to Bright Moon, I guess seeing you do all that magic makes her think her mom would know what to do with you.”

Adora hesitated. They couldn’t go to Bright Moon, they would be found out in minutes! “Do they think we are Horde?”

Catra turned smug, “Nope! Not at all. I told that we are from a small village from the other side of Fight Zone and that we had taken a small path unknown to the Horde through the mountains and then your instincts guided us to here.”

“There's no path-”

“They don’t know that,” Catra pointed out with a smile.“They have never been in the Fright Zone.”  

“So they have no idea we are from the Horde,” Adora confirmed. “None at all?”

“I told you they don't!” Her friend rolled her eyes. “We just have to make sure they believe that and we are gold!” Then her smile dropped, “Long enough to go get back to the barracks somehow.”

“Well,” Adora sat up and rubbed the wet grass off her arms. “If they don’t think we are Horde then maybe Glimmer’s mom can help me figure out how to change back.”

Catra gasped, “We’re going?” She ran and slammed Adora into the ground to sit on her chest, “Really?”

Adora grinned. “Let's go to Bright Moon!”

Twin squeals sounded, one from Catra and another from Glimmer as she stepped through the treeline. Bow was carrying two large baskets and almost fell over when Glimmer tossed hers on top to run over to Adora.

“You mean it?,” Glimmer pulled Adora up after Catra got off of her. “You’ll come?” She grabbed Adora’s arms with a giggle, “My mom is going so happy! Even if you don’t join, but why wouldn’t you we are awesome, founding out that there is a princess out there that we didn’t know about and that she has a magic sword? She’ll have to listen to me then!”

“Glimmer?” Bow grunted under all the wright.

“Sorry,” Glimmer flashed over to him and took her basket back and flashed back. “We got some food!”

Bow walked over to join them with a smile, “I’m glad you guys decided to come back with us.”

They laid out what the villagers had given them on a small cloth. It wasn’t too much Glimmer told them with a frown. With the Horde moving closer the village wasn’t getting as many traders in but when they heard that they were with the rebellion the leader of the village had insisted. They had been given the best that they had over Bow and Glimmers protests.

Adora couldn’t believe her eyes, there was a ton of food! She didn’t recognize what most of it was, but Bow and Glimmer didn’t seem to think any of it was terrible as they talked among themselves about the state of the village.

Catra took a piece of bread, one of the few things she did recognize even if it was oddly soft, to make the first bite and elbowed her in the ribs to do the same. She tore a piece off. It was much softer than the bread that they had in the Fright Zone, and it had small bits of...something in it. It smelled nice though so she carefully took a bite.

Her and Catra gasped at the same time, it was terrific! She’d never been a fan before, she’d eaten bread a lot because it fills you up like nothing else, but you really had to pile stuff onto it to make it eatable because it tasted like old nothing otherwise. This? It felt like heaven!

She shaved it into her mouth and immediately grabbed more to do it again. Beside her Catra did the same. She tried to talk with her mouth full, and it was only because Adora had known her forever that she could understand her, “It’s so good!”

Adora nodded. Trying to talk would mean she couldn’t try whatever these little round things were. When they burst into a sweet juice when she bit on them, she moaned and shoved some into Catra’s hand with a thumbs up. Anything sweet was rare, super rare! Bow and Glimmer said that the village had little, but Adora couldn’t understand how they could think that if they had such good food!

“Wow,” Bow blinked in surprise. “They not feed you guys back home?”

“It’s delicious,” Adora said with a gasp when she came up for air. Catra nodded in agreement as she chewed. “I like the little sweet things.”

Bow and Glimmer stared at them both. “You-” Bow’s jaw dropped. “You don’t know what berries are?” His voice was high pitched with shock.

“Is that what there are called?” Catra asked him. “I want more of them!”

Adora found a small pot and was disappointed when there was only a thick golden goo inside. She put some on her finger to taste it anyway, and as soon as it hit her tongue, she snapped her head up to look at Glimmer and Bow. “What is this?”

“Looks like honey,” said a confused Glimmer. “You're supposed to put it on the bread but it looks like you kinda ate it all….”

“It’s so sweet!” Adora got some more, it was also very sticky, and it was making her fingers and hand stink together.

Catra, having eaten all the berries, reached for the pot. “Let me try!”

“No,” Adora used her new hight to hold it out of reach. “You got the barries this is mine!”

“You had some too!” Her friend jumped and grabbed on to Adora’s vest, her smaller arms still no match for Adora.

“I’ll make sure to tell my mom to get some food ready as soon as we’re back,” Glimmer said with a laugh. "I’m grateful that they gave us this much, I didn’t know you guys were that hungry.”

Bow pushed the last basket over to Catra, who ripped into it. “Though I guess carrying all of us through a First One’s ruin and then zapping me with magic makes you hungry huh?”

Adora choked on what she’d just stuffed into her mouth, some kind of smoked meat, making Catra slap her hand on her back. “I, uh, I thought maybe you forgot about that….”

Glimmer shook her head, “I’m trying really hard to not press you for answers but I need to know more. You know the First One language! That alone would be amazing but your also super strong and somehow can zap people when you are passed out!”

She played with the little bit of smoked meat in her hand as she thought it over. These were rebellion soldiers. Glimmer was a princess! It was one thing to tell Catra about She-Ra, she told Catra everything, but could she trust them? Would they somehow use it against her? They seemed to react well so far, Bow didn’t seem upset about getting zapped.

She’d already told Catra that they would go to Bright Moon so they could talk with Glimmer’s mom, right? But how much was she really willing to share? How much knowagle was needed so she could change back?

“Um….” Adora shrugged. “I really don’t know much? I just knew it. Wait that doesn’t make any sense. The mural thing in the ruin? That was me well kinda it was a different She-Ra? I’m a new She-Ra but I don’t remember anything that the old She-Ra did and I don’t know what my powers are or how to use them.”

Bow and Glimmer stared at her while Catra giggled beside her. “Adora,” Catra snorted out in the middle of a deep laugh, “None of that made sense.”

“I think we should let your mom handle this Glimmer,” Bow said with a smile.

Glimmer sighed, “Yeah your right….” She jumped up and brushed off her shorts. “We should get going. The villagers said the area is clear from the Horde but you can never be too careful. We’re only a couple hours from Bright Moon so we should be able to get there in time for lunch.” She looked at the empty baskets, “Or I hope so.”

The Whispering Woods was completely different during the day, without all the dark shadows it wasn’t as scary and the well-worn trail they were heading down helped as well. At first Adora, and Catra since she’d taken her place on her shoulder again, kept a couple feet behind Glimmer and Bow. Adora was starting to trust them, as much as one could trust a princess and an evil rebellion soldier, but was still wary of them.

Soon, however, Bow had Catra playing a game where he’d shoot an arrow, one that was dull of corse, into the air and she’d catch it before it had hit the ground. Adora began talking to Glimmer about her powers, mostly how she first got them. That wasn’t much help as Glimmer, like most princesses, had gotten her powers when she was really young. Glimmer didn’t even remember her first use of them although her mom liked to tell the story to guests all the time.  

When Adora tried to ask how she learned to control them it led to another useless conversation as Glimmer never really trained her powers. It all just came to her. She’d had trained on How to use them, the best ways to flash around an enemy or where to hit them with a ball of magic but never really how to do them. Glimmer did give her some hope though, not all princesses were like her after all. Some of them may have tips on how to figure them out and if not then there was sure to be information in Bright Moon or Mystacor! What Mystacor was she had no idea.

The sun was bright in the sky when Adora first laid eyes on Bright Moon.She stopped in her tracks in wonder at the slight. Huge waterfalls, bigger than anything she’d ever seen roared down the mountains into the large pool where the castle itself sat in the middle. There was a walkway through the pool that leads to a tower and at the top was a huge glowing stone that was hanging in the air. It took Ador a moment to relize that the water behind Bright Moon went on for father than she could see becaouse it was the ocean, something she’d never seen before and never thought she would.

It was no wonder hadn’t been able to conquer it, the path they had taken was small and Bright Moon would have seen a large group. There was a bridge that led in the mountains behind, but there was no telling where the opening for it was and it still was much too small for troops. That left the sea but the Horde always stressed the importance of land over sea.

Still, Bright Moon was huge and differently deserved its name, the water shined pretty darn bright.

“There’s so much water,” Catra muttered as they started there way through the pool. “Why is there so much water?”

Glimmer started talking to herself, “Right. I just need to go in there, deal with my mom and recharge. This shouldn’t be hard, right Bow?”

“I-”

“I mean I didn’t even fight the Horde so she shouldn’t be mad right?” Bow didn’t try to respond, Adora guessed he was well used to Glimmer talking at him, not with him. “I even found a new princess!”

“Wait why would your mom be mad?” Adora suddenly feared that maybe they wouldn’t be wanted. Glimmer had been so sure about it though…..She couldn’t go back to the Horde like this! She needed information and she didn’t know where else to get it.

Glimmer sighed, “I wasn’t supposed to leave Bright Moon because I’m grounded.” She muttered under breath, “I can’t believe she still grounds me. I’m a commander!”  

Adora suddenly felt bad about talking all the food this morning, being grounded was the worst. “How long are you grounded for?”

She groaned, “Like three weeks. She never holds it up that long, but it still sucks.”

Three weeks?! Adora needed info, but she really wasn’t looking forward to meeting Glimmer’s mom now. Catra had been grounded the longest at a week, and it had taken her three to get back to normal. Adora herself had only been grounded a few times, and the hunger was the worst. There was nothing she could do for Glimmer right now, at least if they had been back at the Fright Zone she’d had her stash of food to give her.

Catra reached into her pocket and pulled out some nuts and held them out to Glimmer, “You should eat.”

Adora wasn’t surprised that Catra had saved some food from earlier, she was much better at thinking about that kind of thing. Glimmer though looked a little flattered. “Oh, thanks?”

“Hey, why don’t I get some,” Bow pouted.

“Are you grounded too?” Catra asked.

“No,” he laughed. “I don’t get in as much trouble as Glimmer does.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes, “Even when you do get in trouble your dads never grounded you.”

“Well-”

“Glimmer!” A woman called out from the end of the walk away. She looked different somehow, besides the two little purple wings on her back, Adora couldn’t put her finger on it.  Behind her stood four guards. “Where have you been? All of Bright Moon has been worried sick!”

She started walking toward them, her wings flared out the anger apparent in her voice and in the glare in her eyes. Catra ducked behind Adora who had to fight to not take a step back. She couldn’t help the jolt of fear that ran through her. Whoever this woman was she had power, and she was also angry.

For the first time since she’d awakened this morning, she felt She-Ra. It was dim, and there wasn’t a real feeling to it, but it was enough that she steeled her spine. Not that the woman seemed to notice at all, she was too busy shouting at Glimmer. “What were you thinking?”

Glimmer tried to speak up, “Mom-”

She was ignored, “How could you be so selfish and disobedient ?”

That lady was Glimmer’s mom? The one that grounded her for three weeks? The one that was supposed to help her?

Glimmer flinched and Adora felt it in her gut. She didn’t trust them yet, not entirely but she wasn’t just going to let Glimmer get yelled at. What if she decided to punish her more? She-Ra agreed, at least Adora thought so as she felt confidence that wasn’t hers steep into her. Her shoulders went back, and she stepped in between Glimmer and her mother.

“Glimmer didn’t do anything wrong,” her voice sounded commanding which was good. The last thing she needed was to show weakness. “She helped me a lot actually. I can’t thank her enough.”

Glimmer’s mother blinked in surprise at the interruption. “It can’t be,” she said softly.

“I was trying to tell you,” Glimmer muttered. “Mom I found-”

“She-Ra.” The winged woman shook her head in wonder. “How- I thought you were just a legend.”

“You do know about She-Ra then?” Adora asked with some excitement.

That excitement was quickly dashed when she shook her head, “Not much, only stories and legends. I never once thought they were real-that she was real. It was said she-you would appear in the darkest hour of need to bring balance.”

Adora sighed, “I don’t know what any of that means! I just want to control these powers.”

Glimmer’s mother stared at her for a few moments before she spoke, “I would be a fool to not try and help you. If any one of the stories is true, then you are or will be a hero beyond measure, She-Ra.”

“Her name is Adora,” Catra glared up at the woman from her place behind Adora.

“...I see.” The woman glanced down at Catra with a small frown. “I apologize,” she said as she shook her head. I was too busy reprimanding my daughter to interduce myself. I am Queen Angella, and I welcome you both to Bright Moon.”

Wait Glimmer’s mom was the Queen of the rebellion?! Why could things never be simple?  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super happy about this chapter but oh well.... I'm picking and choosing which storylines I'm going to be putting in this. Razz is one that I'm holding off on until later, I don't think she'll be in this fic at all actually. Swift Wind won't just because his part is so small that I don't really know what to do with him ??? All the princess will be showing up and I have a little subplot in mind for Scorpia. Also, I know I'm setting up all this She-Ra plot but it's not going get an ending in this fic.... I'm thinking of doing a sequel with a time jump to for that storyline if I manage to finish this one lmao 
> 
> Anyway thanks for all the comments!! I love them all a lot !!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Little Catra in episode 9 is so cute guys. Her big ears and little fang!!! just kill me....Her hiss when Adora uncovers her is my favorite moment in the show. 
> 
> I wanted to write a Kitten!Catra fic but also a redemption fic so I kinda rolled them into one? I also want more Angella being mom like to Bow and Adora in season two so she's going to be popping up a lot.
> 
> Also, my tumblr is she-ra-cat-ra !


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